Journalist demographics and statistics in the US
Journalist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates journalist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our journalist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about journalists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 6,047 journalists currently employed in the United States.
- 53.4% of all journalists are women, while 46.6% are men.
- The average journalist age is 40 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of journalists is White (66.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.6%), Asian (9.6%) and Black or African American (6.4%).
- Journalists are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- New York, NY pays an annual average wage of $79,456, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women journalists earned 98% of what men earned.
- New York is the best state for journalists to live.
- Journalists are 72% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Journalist demographics by:
Journalist gender statistics
53.4% of journalists are women and 46.6% of journalists are men.
- Female, 53.4%
- Male, 46.6%
Journalist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 53.4% |
| Male | 46.6% |
Journalist gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$57,266
Female income
$55,917
Journalist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in journalist positions over time. Currently, 53.4% of journalists are female.
Journalist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 48.29% | 51.71% |
| 2011 | 47.85% | 52.15% |
| 2012 | 47.82% | 52.18% |
| 2013 | 50.86% | 49.14% |
| 2014 | 53.41% | 46.59% |
| 2015 | 47.45% | 52.55% |
| 2016 | 49.42% | 50.58% |
| 2017 | 46.19% | 53.81% |
| 2018 | 50.84% | 49.16% |
| 2019 | 47.28% | 52.72% |
| 2020 | 51.30% | 48.70% |
| 2021 | 46.64% | 53.36% |
Journalist related jobs gender ratio
We compared journalists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public address announcer and track announcer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Paraprofessional Interpreter | 12% | 88% |
| Deaf Interpreter | 15% | 85% |
| Fashion Journalist | 15% | 85% |
| Journalist | 47% | 53% |
| Sports Announcer | 91% | 9% |
| Track Announcer | 92% | 8% |
| Public Address Announcer | 93% | 7% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Journalist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among journalists is White, which makes up 66.8% of all journalists. Comparatively, 12.6% of journalists are Hispanic or Latino and 9.6% of journalists are Asian.
- White, 66.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 12.6%
- Asian, 9.6%
- Black or African American, 6.4%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Journalist race
| Journalist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 66.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.6% |
| Asian | 9.6% |
| Black or African American | 6.4% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Journalist race and ethnicity over time
See how journalist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Journalist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 73.86% | 7.27% | 6.16% | 10.59% |
| 2011 | 76.26% | 5.43% | 5.87% | 9.44% |
| 2012 | 73.84% | 7.19% | 6.80% | 10.01% |
| 2013 | 72.85% | 6.97% | 6.42% | 11.79% |
| 2014 | 72.29% | 6.41% | 6.76% | 11.44% |
| 2015 | 71.13% | 7.94% | 5.91% | 11.85% |
| 2016 | 74.15% | 4.68% | 6.64% | 10.19% |
| 2017 | 71.86% | 5.93% | 6.63% | 12.57% |
| 2018 | 69.87% | 7.46% | 6.91% | 13.59% |
| 2019 | 70.78% | 5.36% | 8.54% | 12.01% |
| 2020 | 71.42% | 6.47% | 7.35% | 11.65% |
| 2021 | 66.77% | 6.35% | 9.65% | 12.56% |
Journalist wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino journalists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american journalists have the lowest average salary at $51,433.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $56,647 |
| White | $56,779 |
| Black or African American | $51,433 |
| Asian | $60,303 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $61,735 |
Average journalist age
See how the average age of journalists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Journalist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 50 | 36 |
| White | 39 | 38 |
| Black or African American | 29 | 27.5 |
| Asian | 38 | 33 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 38 | 36 |
Journalist age breakdown
The average age of journalists is 40+ years years old, representing 44% of the journalist population.
Journalist age breakdown
| Journalist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 44% |
| 30-40 years | 32% |
| 20-30 years | 24% |
Journalist educational attainment
The most common degree for journalists is bachelor's degree, with 74% of journalists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 74%
- Master's, 11%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Journalists by degree level
| Journalist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 74% |
| Master's | 11% |
| Associate | 8% |
| High School Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Journalist jobs you might like
Journalist wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,706 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,841 |
Journalist employment statistics
Most journalists work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where journalists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where journalists work.
Journalist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 30% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 9% |
Journalist jobs by company type
Employees with the journalist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most journalists prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Journalist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 12% |
| Public | 12% |
| Private | 72% |
| Government | 4% |
Journalist jobs by industry
The most common industries for journalists are media, education and professional.
Journalist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 44% |
| Education | 10% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Government | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Journalist turnover and employment statistics
Journalist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for journalists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Journalist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Journalist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.18% |
| 2011 | 5.45% |
| 2012 | 5.99% |
| 2013 | 3.17% |
| 2014 | 4.18% |
| 2015 | 4.87% |
| 2016 | 2.80% |
| 2017 | 2.13% |
| 2018 | 2.79% |
| 2019 | 4.35% |
| 2020 | 5.70% |
| 2021 | 3.87% |
Average journalist tenure
The average journalist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 8,964 journalists resumes in Zippia's database.
Journalist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 29% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Journalist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of journalists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Journalist | 10.10% | - |
| Sports Commentator | 10.34% | 1,432 |
| Publications Coordinator | 12.01% | 27,541 |
| Online Editor | 12.38% | 5,474 |
| Freelance Translator | 14.90% | 1,162 |
| CO-Author | 16.36% | 2,793 |
| Mobile Disc Jockey | 16.36% | 5,576 |
Similar journalist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sports Commentator | 10.34% | 1,432 |
| Publications Coordinator | 12.01% | 27,541 |
| Online Editor | 12.38% | 5,474 |
| Freelance Translator | 14.90% | 1,162 |
| CO-Author | 16.36% | 2,793 |
| Mobile Disc Jockey | 16.36% | 5,576 |
Foreign languages spoken by journalists
The most common foreign language among journalists is Spanish at 37.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.7% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 8.1%.
- Spanish, 37.0%
- French, 14.7%
- Chinese, 8.1%
- Mandarin, 6.9%
- German, 5.3%
- Other, 28.0%
Journalist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 37.0% |
| French | 14.7% |
| Chinese | 8.1% |
| Mandarin | 6.9% |
| German | 5.3% |
| Other | 28.0% |
